Sepsis Awareness

Sepsis is the body’s life-threatening reaction to an infection. In the United States, sepsis affects 1.7 million people and takes 270,000 lives. As many as 87% of sepsis cases originate in the patient’s community. EMS and prehospital practitioners are often the first medical providers to reach these cases. They transport as many as 50% of patients with severe sepsis who arrive at the emergency department.

EMS practitioners are often a sepsis patient’s first contact into the healthcare system and in severe cases, the timely assessment and treatment they provide can greatly impact patient outcomes. EMS practitioners are uniquely positioned to improve the early and vital care of sepsis patients – at home, in transport and during transfers – while protecting themselves and the wider community.

To assist EMS practitioners in understanding the symptoms and treatments for Sepsis, NAEMT has partnered with the Sepsis Alliance to provide the EMS profession with sepsis educational resources and training. Read release announcing new NAEMT-Sepsis Alliance partnership here.

Sepsis Alliance is the leading sepsis organization in the U.S., working in all 50 states to save lives and reduce suffering by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. In 2011, Sepsis Alliance designated September as Sepsis Awareness Month to bring healthcare professional and community members together in the fight against sepsis.